Our entire team at SCANPO was deeply saddened earlier this week when we received news that Fred Sheheen had passed away on Monday in a tragic car accident.

Fred was a staple in the nonprofit community. He founded, directed and taught at the Nonprofit Leadership Institute at Francis Marion University, where many of our SCANPO team and members received their education and training.

Every year, he presented the Award for Nonprofit Leadership at the Nonprofit Summit and our team always looked forward to seeing him in attendance.

In addition to his contributions to our nonprofit community, Fred was also the director of the Institute of Nonprofit Leadership. He served as the executive director for South Carolina’s Commission on Higher Education for more than a decade. Fred taught an honors course on South Carolina State Government for the University of South Carolina, worked as a journalist and served as press secretary for former South Carolina Governor and Senator Donald Russell.

A graduate of Duke University and the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University, Fred also received honorary degrees from Lander University, Claflin University and the Technical College of the Lowcountry.

Fred is the father of state Senator Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw. In addition to his son and his family, Sheheen is survived by his wife, Rose; brothers Bob and Austin Sheheen and their respective families; and daughters Maria Sheheen Spring and Margaret Sheheen Bishop and their respective families.